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Viewpoint: Stop rapists, molesters

Six months ago, standing with rape victims, advocates, law enforcement and state lawmakers, we pledged to test Florida’s unprocessed sexual assault kits; and now, thanks to the prompt action of our state Legisl

Viewpoint: Stop rapists, molesters

Six months ago, standing with rape victims, advocates, law enforcement and state lawmakers, we pledged to test Florida’s unprocessed sexual assault kits; and now, thanks to the prompt action of our state Legislature and the support of Gov. Rick Scott, our state crime labs will soon have the necessary funding to begin this process.

On the final day of the 2016 Legislative Session, lawmakers approved the state budget providing an initial $2.3 million for the testing of Florida’s thousands of unprocessed sexual assault kits, and paved the way for private labs to assist. The legislature also allocated funds for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to raise the wages of lab analysts to reduce turnover, purchase new forensic testing equipment and upgrade existing lab equipment.

These budget allocations will have a massive net impact on forensic testing in Florida over the next year, and I am confident the legislature will provide continued funded in future sessions to keep the process moving forward.

This multipronged approach is vital to processing Florida’s untested kits expediently, while also providing state labs with the resources needed to continue testing new forensic evidence. A recent statewide assessment discovered more than 13,400 unprocessed sexual assault kits in Florida. While the city of Detroit alone has 11,000, Florida’s numbers still present a significant challenge.

Thanks to Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, Rep. Janet Adkins and the leadership of FDLE, we are ready to tackle this challenge. However, we must never forget that each of these kits represents a victim — a person who was violated in the worst possible way.

Sexual assault is a horrific crime that profoundly changes the lives of victims and their families. The latest statewide crime statics show that the number of forcible rapes and violent sexual assaults in Florida is on the rise, and we must do everything in our power to stop the rapists and child molesters who prey on vulnerable Floridians.

As a career prosecutor I have seen firsthand the heartache caused by sexual predators, and these legislative efforts are a significant step toward bringing more predators to justice and helping victims heal. These actions will help ensure future kits are tested promptly. Cold cases will be solved. Serial rapists will be held accountable for their crimes. Victims will heal.

We are already seeing results.

Last year, a previously unprocessed kit from a 2009 rape was tested, producing key DNA evidence. The evidence was cross-checked against a criminal database, a match was found and a career criminal was arrested. This is just one of what, hopefully, will be many arrests to come, as the testing of these previously unprocessed kits ramps up here in Florida.

With the necessary allocation of resources and accountability measures providing new time frames for processing forensic evidence, Floridians can trust existing and future sexual assault kits will be tested.